Celebrate the Year. Walk Into the Next One Believing.
Chris Sund is a holiday party and year-end meeting speaker who keeps it short and lifts the room. In 20 to 30 minutes he honors what your people pulled off this year, tells a couple of true stories worth retelling at the table, and sends everyone into January convinced they are capable of more. It is a toast with substance, not a training session in a party dress.
Year-End Events Chris Speaks At
December and early January bring the whole company together in a better mood than any other time of year. That is exactly when a short, well-placed talk does the most good.
Company Holiday Parties
A brief, upbeat talk during the evening program. People came to celebrate, so the talk celebrates them, then gets out of the way of the party.
Year-End All-Hands
The last company meeting of the year, where leadership looks back on the wins and points at what is next. Chris turns that look back into fuel. See the all-hands speaker page.
Awards Nights & Annual Banquets
Year-end awards dinners where top performers are honored in front of their peers. Chris speaks to the winners and to everyone who will be on stage next year. See employee recognition events.
End-of-Year Leadership Meetings
The December offsite or leadership dinner where managers close the books and set intentions for the new year.
Why a Short Talk Belongs at the Party
Most holiday parties have a moment where the CEO stands up, thanks everyone, and sits back down. It is kind, and nobody remembers it by February. A great year-end talk does what that toast is trying to do, and makes it stick.
Chris keeps the tone warm and the length tight. He names what the year asked of people, connects it to the idea at the heart of his book, that most of us have far more in us than we use, and gives the room one simple thing to carry into the new year. Then he hands the night back to you. No slides full of bullet points, no homework, no lecture.
- A genuine thank-you for the year that people actually feel, because it is specific
- True stories with a laugh or two, built for an audience holding a drink
- The You Are Capable of More message, sized for a celebration
- One question each person can answer for themselves before January
- A natural lead-in to awards, a toast, or your CEO’s remarks
- Content that works for every role, from the front desk to the board
Where the Talk Fits in Your Party Run of Show
Timing matters more at a party than at any other event. Chris will work to your schedule, but these are the slots that land best.
After Dinner, Before Awards
Plates are cleared, the room is settled and still fresh. The talk sets up the awards so each honoree walks onto a stage that already means something.
Right After the CEO’s Welcome
Leadership says thank you, Chris builds on it, and the program moves straight into the toast or the entertainment.
To Close the Business Review
At a daytime year-end all-hands, the talk follows the numbers and ends the meeting on a high note before everyone heads to the celebration.
Late in the Evening
Once the band starts or the bar has been open for hours, attention is gone. Keep any program in the first half of the night.
How Long Should a Holiday Party Speaker Talk?
For a party, 20 to 30 minutes. That is long enough for a story, a laugh and a message people repeat on the drive home, and short enough that nobody checks the time. A year-end all-hands or awards banquet can carry 30 to 45 minutes. If you want something deeper, pair the party with a separate leadership session earlier that day.
Proof: Evening Programs and Recognition Events
Chris spoke at the Crawford County Memorial Hospital Patient Experience Recognition Dinner in Denison, Iowa, an evening celebration for staff in every role, which is the same room you have at a company holiday party. He also delivered the keynote at the BeatStars company meeting and opened the Definitive Healthcare sales kickoff for more than 800 people.
Chris was an outstanding speaker and a highlight of our 2025 Patient Experience Recognition Dinner. He took the time to deeply understand our organization, our culture, and our specific goals — and thoughtfully personalized his presentation. His message resonated across all roles. Our staff genuinely loved his delivery. We could not recommend him highly enough.
Chris, we truly appreciated the time and effort you put into creating a presentation tailored specifically to our staff. Your ability to understand our team, align the content with our goals, and deliver it in a way that was engaging and meaningful made a real impact. It was clear this was not a one-size-fits-all presentation — and that made all the difference.
Programs for Year-End Celebrations
Each one can be trimmed to a 20 to 30 minute party version or delivered as a full keynote at a year-end meeting.
You Are Capable of More
The natural pick for December. Look at what the team did this year, then ask what it could do next year.
The Power of Small Moments
For parties built around gratitude: the small, everyday acts that made this year work and that people rarely get thanked for.
Your Team Is Capable of More
For a department or division party that wants to celebrate the group, not just the individuals.
You Are Capable of a Better Culture
For year-end meetings where leadership wants to name the culture it is building for next year, using SPARK.
Who Books a Holiday Party Speaker
Related pages: Employee Recognition Event Speaker · Employee Appreciation Day Speaker · Company Kickoff Speaker · All-Hands & Town Hall Speaker · President’s Club & Sales Awards Speaker
What Holiday Party Planners Ask
How long should a holiday party speaker talk?
Twenty to thirty minutes at a party. People came to celebrate, so a short talk with a story and one clear message beats a full keynote. For a year-end all-hands or awards banquet, thirty to forty-five minutes works well.
When should the speaker go on during the party?
After dinner and before awards is the strongest slot. The room is settled, attention is still high, and the talk gives the awards that follow more weight. Avoid the late part of the evening once the music or open bar has taken over.
Will a speaker make our party feel like a work meeting?
Not this one. Chris keeps it light, personal and celebratory. There are no slides of metrics and no assignments. The goal is that people feel thanked and a little more hopeful about next year, then get back to the party.
Can Chris speak at a year-end all-hands or awards night instead of the party itself?
Yes. Many companies hold the talk at a daytime year-end meeting or an awards banquet. If the new year is your focus, see the company kickoff page, and for an awards-centered evening see employee recognition events.
Can we give everyone the book as a holiday gift?
Yes. A signed copy of You Are Capable of More is a gift people keep and read over the break. See bulk book orders for signed editions and volume pricing.
You Are Capable of More
The bestselling book behind the talk, and the 2026 Paris Book Festival winner in the How-To category. It is built on a simple idea that suits the end of a year: most people have far more in them than they have used so far.
Placed on every seat or handed out at the door, it turns the holiday party into a gift people take home and open over the break. Chris can sign copies after the program.
An Executive Who Throws the Party Too
Chris is President & COO of Uniti Med and GQR Healthcare and COO of Nebula. He helped grow Uniti Med 10x in revenue in two years, earning #3 on the Inc. Regionals list of the fastest-growing companies in the Midwest, and the company was named to Fortune Best Workplaces. He knows what a hard year asks of a team because he leads one.
He is the bestselling author of You Are Capable of More, writes for Inc. and Forbes, and is a Maxwell Leadership Certified coach. Audiences have also seen him on WOWT, 10/11, WFLA’s Bloom, KXAN’s Studio 512, KCTV5, WOI and Dakota News Now.
Stages I Have Spoken On
Where Teams Have Celebrated With Chris
Recognition dinners, company meetings and kickoffs where Chris has spoken to whole organizations.
Crawford Memorial Recognition DinnerDenison, IABeatStars Company MeetingMay 2026Definitive Healthcare SKOBoston, MA · 800+ sellersPOWER ConferenceOmaha, NEDisruptHR Omaha 6.0Stop Building FencesGreater Omaha ChamberLeadership ExchangeAlso: Company Event Speaker · Employee Engagement Speaker · All Corporate Events · See all speaking engagements →
Bring Chris to Your Holiday Party
Tell Chris your date, your crowd and what kind of year it has been. You’ll get a fast, straight answer on fit and availability.
Check Availability & FeesResponse within one business day · Speaker kit, bio & headshots